Some Common Page Plus Problems

If you use the web form to port your number, often nothing will happen. Follow up the next day by calling and asking for the 'porting department'. Better still, port by calling PP rather than using the web page.

The $12 startup credit is no longer provided for porting. For new numbers, check your account page and if you don't see the $12 credit, call. You can also port after you activate in order to get the credit.

Make sure you are happy with your number BEFORE you activate Unlimited Talk n Text. You can't change your number in the middle of a cycle without cancelling the plan early and losing what you prepaid.

Applying the appropriate card should activate the corresponding plan (e.g. $39.95 card activates Unlimited Talk n Text) but sometimes it doesn't work. If so, you may be charged for calls/texts you thought were included in your plan. Check your account page, and if there's a problem, call.

REGULAR USE

Some (many?) phones will show a roaming icon outside your home area, but this does not mean you are roaming. The only indication of 'real roaming' is that when you make an outgoing call, you are asked to dial again . This is a pain when driving, and wouldn't it be better if they just said "You are roaming"---no, that would make too much sense. For incoming calls, there is NO indication; you'll find out later that you were charged 59 cents/min.

Occasionally you call will not go through, you will get a low balance or zero balance message that is clearly false. Just dial again. There has been one report that incoming callers have heard this message, and the call has not gone through. This is a more serious problem.

PP's call log does not show total number of texts or total call minutes (useful for those on plans with a quota). The only way they'll tell you that you have exceeded your quota is that they'll start charging you extra, or calls will stop going through if you have zero balance. (As of March '11, the "My Account Summary" page on the user's o/l account showed data, text, and minutes remaining. Likely, all quota accounts now do.)

DATA

Data may not be activated until you call and ask. If you have any difficulty getting your phone to work with data, this is the first thing you should suspect. (They may say "every line is automatically activated", but it's not true; insist that they check.)

All newer Verizon phones should work, but technical assistance is limited. Even if you are paying for a plan that includes data, it is your responsibility to get the phone working with data. If that's not something you feel comfortable doing, buy your phone from PP. PDAs, eg. phones running Windows Mobile or Palm OS, should need no setup.

PP's call log does not show how much data you have used (useful for those on plans with a quota). The only way they'll tell you that you have exceeded your quota is that they'll start charging you extra, or data will stop working if you have zero balance.

The PP call log has delayed updates. This is potentially a problem for people testing data usage. Allow enough time for the log to update before assuming you are not being charged.